Press Releases

Hurricane Gustav Packs a Punch

Remembering the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina just three years ago, the Gulf Coast braced itself for hurricane Gustav. Gustav caused considerable damage as a tropical storm in Haiti, The Dominican Republic, and Jamaica before coming ashore in the United States as a Category 3 Hurricane.

In Haiti, it was reported that a project that NCM helped establish after the food crisis in April has been affected, wiping out efforts in growing sustainable food sources which included gardens and livestock.

In the Gulf Coast, nearly 2 million residents heeded the warnings and the mandatory evacuations issued by the governor of Louisiana. District Superintendent, Greg Mason for Louisiana and Mississippi, indicated the members of the Nazarene churches in New Orleans and the surrounding areas have evacuated. Dr. Charles Johnson, pastor of Fitkin Memorial Church of the Nazarene in Meridian, Mississippi, is serving as a sanctuary for many of the evacuees from New Orleans and Pascagoula.

Nearly one million residents are without power and preliminary damage estimates are between 6-10 million dollars. Steve Creech, National Director for Nazarene Disaster Response (NDR), says plans are in place to respond to the needs of those affected by hurricane Gustav. Baton Rouge First Church of the Nazarene is serving as the local command post for NDR. George Sisler of One Heart Many Hands and Josh Mason, who served as coordinators in New Orleans during the response to hurricane Katrina, will once again serve as the local coordinators for the response to hurricane Gustav. Convey of Hope has partnered with NDR in providing relief products to residents. Rapid response teams from Indiana and Michigan are scheduled to begin arriving in the area on Saturday, September 6. As residents return to the affected area and the damages are assessed, teams will be in place to assist in the repairs.

Even as the response to Gustav is underway, tropical storm Hanna began pummeling Haiti with heavy rain falls. Reports from Haiti NCM indicate that throughout the country, our Nazarene brothers and sisters are being evacuated, their houses are being destroyed and one young member of our church died as a result of the heavy rains. The Haitians remember Hurricane Jeanne, which caused heavy rainfall in September 2004. Jeanne resulted in hundreds of people missing, more than one thousand dead and over 300,000 homeless due to flooding and mudslides. One pastor, Jeudy Gary reports that Gonaive, a town in the north central part of Haiti, ‘is being affected by Hanna more than Hurricane Jeanne’.

The Southeast Coast of the United States is also preparing for hurricane Hanna. Hanna is forecasted to hit the southeast coast later in the week. Rapid response teams from Virginia and North Carolina are on standby as they prepare to be first responders to any devastating affects suffered because of the storm.

Once again, your support is needed to facilitate the response to those who were evacuated and to assists in the recovery from the storms. Persons and churches wishing to contribute to the relief efforts can mark their checks “International Hurricane Relief ACM2006” and send them to Global Treasury Services, 17001 Prairie Star Pkwy, Lenexa, KS 66220. In Canada, checks should be made payable and sent to the Church of the Nazarene Canada, 20 Regan Road, Unit 9, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3.

Teams interested in registering to respond to hurricanes in the USA can contact Steve Creech via email at screech@ncmi.org or 252-799-6888.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2008

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